How to create an autumn floral wreath

Autumn is finally here! To usher in this beautiful season, we're very happy to share this wonderful fall wreath painting tutorial by Inga Buividavice of IG: @inga.buividavice!

Check out her step-by-step process and insightful painting tips below to create your very own floral wreath. Take it away, Inga!

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Hello, I am Inga Buividavice, a Lithuanian designer and artist currently based in the UK. I graduated with a Masters in Graphic Design and work as a UI designer by day. Watercolour painting has been my passion for a while now. I started it as a hobby to keep myself on the creative track while not working and now I can't live without it. Today I want to invite you to join me in creating an autumn floral wreath.

MATERIALS:

Watercolour Paper, Arches Cold Pressed 140lbs (you can use any paper but higher quality paper dries slower so you have more time to add colours to your painting)

Brushes (I will be using Princeton Heritage round brushes size 10 and 3 for details)

Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour

White Ink

Jar with water

Paper tissues for wiping brushes

HOW TO CREATE AN AUTUMN FLORAL WREATH:

STEP 1

First, I draw a circle using a compass. You can use a bowl or anything round to create your circle.

STEP 2

I start by painting flowers on random parts of the wreath's circle. It can be very abstract, just a couple petals joining together, and I also always make the middle of the flower darker. I chose warm and slightly desaturated colours for this wreath, as I want it to have an autumn feel. I also noticed that when I use earthy colours, my paintings are more appealing and better suit my personality.

STEP 3

Flowers are the focal point of the wreath so I am placing them thoughtfully on the wreath. I try to find a balance and avoid making it look too symmetrical, so I paint the flowers from different angles. This way, they will look more alive. In nature, nothing is lined up perfectly. While painting the flowers, I always go back to darken the center of each bloom.

STEP 4

I add the leaves in no particular order, but I always start from the stem to mark the direction. It's important that the leaves are always coming from the center of the flower. To draw a leaf, start by putting minimal pressure on your brush then apply more pressure towards the middle and release at the end. When using watercolours, try painting the leaves, petals, etc. with a single gesture. This way, the lines look more clean.

STEP 5

I add as many leaves as I feel like, making sure that the wreath looks thick and rich. Note that I use a variety of colours for the leaves. I play with different tones, hues, and values by adding more paint or water.

STEP 6

Next, I add berries because what's an autumn bouquet or wreath without berries, right? Just create random circles for the berries, but also play around with the colours to create dimension.

STEP 7

Add the stems to make the berries look like berries. Do this while the paint is still wet and the colours bleed and mix together. This is my favourite watercolour effect as I am not trying to make the berries look too realistic and just want them to look recognisable.

STEP 8

I then add dark dots at the center of the flowers for the stamens. I also add veins to the light-colored leaves to add texture.

STEP 9

For the final details, I take my white ink and add reflections on the berries and stamens.

CHECK OUT THE FINISHED PIECE BELOW:

And that's it, hope you’ve enjoyed it and have a wonderful autumn floral wreath!

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Have a question about this process? Comment below and we'll do our best to answer you!